第175页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第175页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
introduced to Mr. Brocklehurst: the very rug he had stood upon still
covered the hearth. Glancing at the bookcases, I thought I could
distinguish the two volumes of Bewick's British Birds occupying
their old place on the third shelf, and Gulliver's Travels and the
Arabian Nights ranged just above. The inanimate objects were not
changed; but the living things had altered past recognition.
Two young ladies appeared before me; one very tall, almost as
tall as Miss Ingram- very thin too, with a sallow face and severe
mien. There was something ascetic in her look, was augmented by the
extreme plainness of a straight-skirted, black, stuff dress, a
starched linen collar, hair combed away from the temples, and the
nun-like ornament of a string of ebony beads and a crucifix. This I
felt sure was Eliza, though I could trace little resemblance to her
former self in that elongated and colourless visage.
The other was as certainly Georgiana: but not the Georgiana I
remembered- the slim and fairy-like girl of eleven. This was a
full-blown, very plump damsel, fair as waxwork, with handsome and
regular features, languishing blue eyes, and ringleted yellow hair.
The hue of her dress was black too; but its fashion was so different
from her sister's- so much more flowing and becoming- it looked as
stylish as the other's looked puritanical.
In each of the sisters there was one trait of the mother- and
only one; the thin and pallid elder daughter had her parent's
Cairngorm eye: the blooming and luxuriant younger girl had her contour
of jaw and chin- perhaps a little softened, but still imparting an
indescribable hardness to the countenance, otherwise so voluptuous and
buxom.
Both ladies, as I advanced, rose to welcome me, and both
addressed me by the name of 'Miss Eyre.' Eliza's greeting was
delivered in a short, abrupt voice, without a smile; and then she
sat down again, fixed her eyes on the fire, and seemed to forget me.
Georgiana added to her 'How d 'ye do?' several commonplaces about my
journey, the weather, and so on, uttered in rather a drawling tone:
and accompanied by sundry side-glances that measured me from head to
foot-now traversing the folds of my drab merino pelisse, and now
lingering on the plain trimming of my cottage bonnet. Young ladies
have a remarkable way of letting you know that they think you a 'quiz'
without actually saying the words. A certain superciliousness of look,
coolness of manner, nonchalance of tone, express fully their
sentiments on the point, without committing them by any positive
rudeness in word or deed.
A sneer, however, whether covert or open, had now no longer that
power over me it once possessed: as I sat between my cousins, I was
surprised to find how easy I felt under the total neglect of the one
and the semi-sarcastic attentions of the other- Eliza did not mortify,
nor Georgiana ruffle me. The fact was, I had other things to think